Insight on fibro?

i get stress headaches that just pound the top and back of my head. i have tender spots on my back legs and arms. if my arms are hurting real bad, my hands curl up and i have to stretch them out. i bend over constantly all day long because i have an 8 month old little boy whos just too precious! and cold teperature just gets my bones hurting in my knees and elbows that radiate to my toes and finger tips. my back gets stiff and sore at the end of every day.

idk how i got fibro. im assuming it was due to being so active in sports(basketball, softball, volleyball CHEERLEADING.) in cheerleading, i would always be picking up girls, throwing and catching alot. with a few injuries like very sore neck from someone falling on me, tendonitis from over extension in my shoulder. but from all that heavy lifting and catching in cheer. that is the only thing i can think of for a reason to why i developed fibro.

i remember always complaining to my mom that my bones would hurt. but since i had so much going on at 15/16 i blew it off in hopes it was just soreness and growing pains. but all the way till now, is why i FINALLY went to see a rheum. i had many blood tests done to rule out other auto immune diseases so he was sure it was fibro.

butt ALSOOOO, i was going through alot of stress and anger and all that fun stuff between ages 16-19. so idk if its just from stress why i have that fibrofog and i cant remember too well :/.

ANY INSIGHT TO THIS REPLY WOULD BE AWESOME!!

Hello Cassie. Oh yes, absolutely all of that throwing and catching, along with the stress, could have activated your fibro. Mine was also activated by too much physical pushing and pulling, so yes, fibro does get started in this manner.

you know, funny that you mention it but some fibro symptom lists mention a sore spot at the top of our heads, and you mentioned getting headaches up there. i have both, the sore spot at the crown of my head, plus I get headaches up there and in the back of my neck, just as you do. i put on some Tiger Balm (smells like Ben Gay and is sold in drug stores and health food stores) and the heat from it often soothes those headaches away.

i also get the bone pain in the elbows and knees. i'm currently undergoing physical therapy for the left elbow. The PT is using ultrasound, which bounces heat into the body and MAN does it feel good and help! The bone pain is gone for now in my elbow, so even if it's only temporary, it's nice to get relief from it. Maybe you could try this route. But try to stay away from the exercises as they always seem to hurt me, sometimes permanently.

I have to go and put groceries away now but wanted to respond to your post. I hope some of this info is useful to you.

Hugs,

Petunia

Hi Cassie,

I am so glad to hear that you are being cared for by a Rheumatologist! Keep going, and keep a running list of symptoms!

Wishing you well!

SK

thanks so much for responding petunia. hmm thats very interesting. idk if i have a tender spot on my head but i dont get alot of what my rheum said is STRESS HEADACHES. but i just may try that if they continue to be bothersome. and yes, had a strong feeling it was to do with lifting and throwing. my rheum mentioned brisk walking and stretching im assuming would help also. just small things. i dont wanna overdo this and end up hurting myself. ive also been seeing many discussions here about people having pain and trouble walking and small things like that. so i am glad i dont have that problem. but i wish all of you the best!!

and petunia, careful with those groceries. i know they can get pretty heavy :D

SK!, thanks for caring :)

at first i had been checked by my primary care physician. after quite a bit of tests. she gave me pain meds and insisted it was just joint pain. im glad i pushed her to refer me to a rheum who knew exactly what i was talking about!!!

hope youre feeling well

-Cassie

As good as my Internist is, he is the one who insists that I also see a Rheumatologist, the first one had no idea what was going on, the second was the charm, he diagnosed me right away, My Internist was right on most of it, but the Rheumatologist doesn't miss a trick. I feel very fortunate to have the Drs that I do. I also have a great Chiropractor, who has an impressive associate with him.

Sounds like you are also very fortunate, hang on to both of them, they will make a great difference in your life! Not having good supportive Drs only adds to our stress, depression, and illness, in my opinion.

exactly!! it definitely adds to the pain when you are stressed! im pretty happy with the rheum i have and very thankful and honestly relieved in a sense that now i know why im having all these symptoms. although i know for an absolute fact that im gonna hate taking meds on a daily basis!!

Cassie, you will ‘almost’ get used to the meds! It is never a total acceptance, but after you start to feel some good results from them, you will really come to value them! I never thought that I would look forward to getting a shot every week, but I am oh so thankful for Enbrel! After the huge pain management needles, these are like a mosquito bite! ha!

Knowing what is going on with your body, eases your mind, the not knowing or understanding is just pure hell! I am the type who has to have a pretty high degree of understanding before I can have any peace with myself.

You are on the right road, girlfriend! I wish you the very best!

Hugs,

SK

ohh i hate needles. lol thats why i hated all the testing i went through. im on a combo of meloxicam and tylenol for now. if that doesnt seem to help in a couple months i think my doc said i could possibly be treated for pain with an antidepressant.

thanks so much! you take care too SK

Oh. lucky you, not having difficulty with brisk walking and stretching. Go for it! Give it a try. i walk quite a bit on my job and made me feel better (not the fibro but my spirits and my rusty muscles) for quite a while.

yup, I think you'll find a lot of us got our fibro through too much physical activity. And yours was partcularly grueling.

I find that even massaging those sore spots of a tension headache often helps to lessen them. The Tiger Balm also helps. Don't put it anywhere near your eyes or nostrils though, if you decide to use it, because it'll burn!